Muslim Dress Code for Women and the Problems it Presents in non-Muslim Countries

Clothing must cover the entire body, only the hands and face may remain visible (According to some Fiqh Schools).

The material must not be so thin that one can see through it.

The clothing must hang loose so that the shape of the body is not apparent.

The female clothing must not resemble the man's clothing.

The design of the clothing must not resemble the clothing of the non-believing women.

The design must not consist of bold designs which attract attention.

Clothing should not be worn for the sole purpose of gaining reputation or increasing one's status in society.

Many Muslims feel the above actually liberates women because the woman is non-descript and men's lustful eyes see nothing to lust about. Yet, the woman wearing this can and probably does lust a guy she sees or meets because men can wear pretty much what they want. To most non-Muslim people, this seems very prejudicial against women, who are forced to where a hijab to cover their beautiful bodies and faces. The societies are so different there is little middle ground except to accept it.

Wearing the full hijab etc., in a western country, conducting daily life, business, school is near an impossible thing. The woman wearing it has the opposite effect intended, for they stand out wherever they go, they are stared at, not trusted (because their face is covered). It is very impractical to wear such a device. Only the devout would dare to wear it, most would adopt a more modest, western approach to fit in.

Oddly enough, Iranian women have got the right look and still preserve their Islamic way. Most women there wear pants or jeans and a scarf or headdress over their hair while exposing their face. This allows them to interact with men freely, or more freely, conduct business, go to school, shop etc. They would fit in much more easily in any non-Muslim country than those wearing the hijab, which seems to be the extreme dress code for Muslim women. Women in such dress resemble a "black ghost".

Perhaps the worse type of Hi-jab is one with a veil so protective, one cannot even see the eyes of the woman they are speaking to. Many find this disconcerting and distracting. The type of dress does reflect the two different societies of Muslim and non-Muslim practices, many that have little to do with Islam, per se. Of course, many will even disagree with that.